Rural Life

The livelihood of a farmer in early to mid-20th century relied heavily on big company investors. Mass production was needed to make money and supply demand, but equipment was expensive, financing was the solution. Many advertisements show the progression into power farming.

Prior to the declaration of WWI, the farmers of Western Canada were faced with an economic slump. Therefore, the advertisements in the issues leading up to the war are largely agriculturally based. For example, this section of the January 1914 issue is dedicated to the buying and selling of livestock in addition to grain, wheat and other crops.

Farmers were preoccupied with establishing their farms and the declaration of war on July 28, 1914 came as a shock. Wartime issues of the Guide encouraged farmers to “be active” in the war effort on the home front. Many farmers hoped that the war would increase demand for grain, wheat and other farm products.

1914

Electricity and new technology vastly changed the scope of farming life. New machines such as large and more efficient thrashers and combines allowed for larger quanitites of crops to be harvested, thus saving time and labour and getting a greater product to market faster.

The Depression saw many return to farms, in the hope of being able to produce one’s own food and subsist in a world economy that had collapsed. Tractors were the luxury of a few select, while mules and horses were still an integral part of agriculture. Ads for livestock and their accessories, such as horse collars, were commonplace in The Country Guide.

1923

The Simpsons department store in downtown Toronto was Canada’s biggest department store chain. The Hudson’s Bay Company currently owns it. As urban Canada was prospering, fashion and shopping became big.

This advertisement exemplifies the isolation felt in the countryside, not only was their economy not flourishing they did not have the same amenities of city life. Due to the corporation’s success they were able to bring the department store to the Prairies by producing a catalog and having delivery services. The Country Guide readers could splurge on the latest fashions.

1930

1929

This ad claims to bring the ‘Caterpillar” fame to thousands of smaller farms and to new users in the industry. Farming was a large part of Canadian identity at the time and is demonstrated through the abundance of images and stories presented throughout The Country Guide. This specific tractor was a real investment, coming in at just over $15,000 calculating the inflation.